Device for extinguishing fires in theaters and other buildings



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. HARGREAVES.

DEVICE FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN THEATERS OR OTHER BUILDINGS. No.386,199. Patented July 17,1888.

N. PETERS, Phawulha n nur, wumngtan. D. C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. HARGREAVES.

DEVICE FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN THEATERS OR OTHER BUILDINGS. No.386,199. Patented July 1'7, 1888.

HIM IIIIIIIM llllll u. ruins mmum n m wmmmi u a UNITED STATES PATENTOFFIC \VILLIAM HARGREAVES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR EXTlNGUlSHlNG FIRES IN THEATERS AND OTHER BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,199, dated July 17,1888.

Application filed November 18, 1887. Serial No. 255,536. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM HARGREAVES, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pen nsylvania,have invented a new and Improved Device for Extinguishing Fires inTheaters, Factories, and other Buildings, which inven tion is fully setforth in the following spccitication.

My invention relates to improvements in de vices for extinguishing andpreventing the spread of fires in theaters and other buildings, andfacilitating the egress of persons from the building in the event offire; and it consists in certain novel l'eatu res hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a theater-stagehaving my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an end view of thesame, the lire-proof doors being shown as closed. Fig. 3 is a similarview showing the doors opened, and Fig. 4 a perspective view showing myimprovements applied to a room in a factory or similar place.

Referring to the drawings by letter, a designates the floor of theauditorium, extending under the stage I).

c designates a supply-pipe connected to the street main or other sourceof water supply, having the valve (1 and the branches 6, which extendunder the stage and communicate with the vertical pipcsf. The saidvertical pipes f extend upward through the stage to near the top of thebuilding, where they communicate with a tank, 9, arranged over thestage. The vertical pipes f are arranged at the sides of the stage nearthe walls of the building, so as to be out of the way of the scenery,&c., and occupy as little room as possible. The tank or reservoir 9 hasa perforated bottom, 71., for the purpose of allowing the water to passdirectly through to the stage, as will be readily understood. Pipes 7ii, similar to the pipes e f, extend upward to the tank y, near the frontpart of the stage, and receive water from a suitable source of supply.In the front part of the stage I provide the sliding fire-proof doors j,which carry the self-closing safetydoors it. These fireproof doors areintended to be closed in case of fire, and thus sepa rate the prosceniumfrom the stage, while the self'elosing doors permit persons on the stageto pass onto the proscenium and away from the tire.

The safety doors are hinged to the sliding doors by means of the hinges0, so as to swing outward, and are held normally closed by theleaf-springsp, secured to theouter sides of the sliding doors and of thesafety-doors. When the sliding doors are closed, the stage will beentirely cut off from the proscenium and auditorium. Persons passingthrough the safetydoors will push the same outward, the springsautomatically closing the doors after the persons have passed through.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided avery simple and ct'licicient device, by which fire can be extiir guishedalmost ii'lstantaneously and its spreading prevented, while at the sametime the pen sons on the stage will be permitted to escape therefrom.\Vhen a fire breaks out, the water is turned on, and passes through theseveral pipes to the tank or reservoir, through the perforated bottom ofwhich it passes directly onto the tlames. At the same time the fireproofdoors are closed, thus preventing the fire spreading into theauditorium. The dotted. lines in Figs. 2 and 3 indicate the fireprooffront above the proscenium.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the device arranged for use in factories. In thisform the pipes are run up through or near the walls, and communicatewith the series of tanks or reservoirs m, arranged between the doors andceilings and supported by the girders it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The combination of thesliding doors, the safety-doors hinged thereto, and the springs secu redto the outer faces of the sliding doors and the safety-doors, as setforth.

\VILLIAM HARGREAVES.

Witnesses:

LUcIUs M. B. H. TIBBETTS, ALBERT W. BEOKMAN.

